Efficient handling of bi-directional data

ABSTRACT

A tool for standardized layout transformations of BIDI data exchanged between legacy and modern systems is provided. The tool retrieves client connection information from a client request for data. The tool determines, based, at least in part, on the client connection information, a client application&#39;s operating system. The tool determines whether the data requested in the client request is BIDI data. Responsive to a determination that the data requested is BIDI data, the tool initiates a layout transformation of the data requested at a single point within the database server. The tool returns transformed BIDI data to the client application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to data exchange, and moreparticularly to bi-directional data transformation.

Many languages are written in a left to right direction (LTR). Otherlanguages, commonly referred to as bi-directional languages (BIDI), andare written and read in a right to left direction, such as Arabic andHebrew. Most computer systems support BIDI.

Some database management systems of legacy systems represent BIDI datain a visual ordering, such that data is stored in the same order as itis displayed. Most modern operating systems represent BIDI data inlogical ordering, such that data is stored in the order it is typed.Applications operating on modern operating systems may insert, update,and query data from backend systems operating on legacy systems.

SUMMARY

Aspects of an embodiment of the present invention disclose a method, acomputer system, and a computer program product for standardized layouttransformations of BIDI data exchanged between legacy and modernsystems, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Thecomputer program product includes program instructions to retrieveclient connection information from a client request for data. Thecomputer program product includes program instructions to determinebased, at least in part, on the client connection information, anoperating system of a client application, wherein the determinationindicates whether the operating system is a modern operating system. Thecomputer program product includes program instructions to determinewhether the data requested in the client request is BIDI data, whereindetermining includes identifying the data requested and determiningwhether the data requested exhibits one or more bi-directionalproperties that indicate BIDI data. The computer program productincludes program instructions to determine the data requested is BIDIdata where the data requested exhibits layout properties indicative ofBIDI data. Responsive to a determination that the data requested is BIDIdata, the computer program product includes program instructions toinitiate a layout transformation of the data requested at a single pointwithin a database server, wherein initiating includes determining aplurality of data from a connection string of the client request, wherethe plurality of data indicates a type of bi-directional datatransformation for converting the BIDI data into a layout compatiblewith the operating system of the client application. Responsive to theplurality of data from the connection string indicating the BIDI data isbeing returned to the client application from a database, the computerprogram product includes program instructions to convert visual data tological data within the database server. The computer program productincludes program instructions to return converted BIDI data to theclient application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a data processingenvironment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting operational steps of a layouttransformation engine, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting components of a data processingsystem (such as the server of FIG. 1), in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention recognize that with a widespreadadoption of BIDI data and a coexistence of both legacy and modernsystems in heterogeneous environments, there is a need for astandardized layout transformation (i.e., logical to visual, and visualto logical) when BIDI data is exchanged between legacy and modernsystems. Embodiments of the present invention further recognize that,due to BIDI data exchange between legacy and modern systems, wheremiddleware servers operating on a modern operating system fetch datafrom legacy system mainframes, and combine data from multiple datasources, an application on the modern operating system may not be ableto understand the BIDI data received from the database stored in visualorder, and as a result, is misinterpreted and displayed incorrectly onthe application. Embodiments of the present invention further recognizethat, due to BIDI data exchange between legacy and modern systems, BIDIdata created on modern systems is stored into a database in anunexpected (e.g., logical) order, and as a result, is processed anddisplayed incorrectly on a legacy system. Embodiments of the presentinvention further recognize that, due to BIDI data exchange betweenlegacy and modern systems, data mismatch may occur where data isinserted by applications operating on legacy mainframes and retrieved byapplications operating on modern operating systems.

Embodiments of the present invention provide the capability tostandardize layout transformation of BIDI data between modern and legacysystems in heterogeneous environments. Embodiments of the presentinvention provide the capability to introduce a mechanism to perform astandardized automatic layout transformation in a database serveroperating on a legacy system (e.g., mainframe). Embodiments of thepresent invention provide the capability for a database server toautomatically initiate a layout transformation, for example, convertvisual BIDI data to logical BIDI data, and return the transformed BIDIdata to a client application.

Implementation of such embodiments may take a variety of forms, andexemplary implementation details are discussed subsequently withreference to the Figures.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference tothe Figures. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a dataprocessing environment, generally designated 100, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 provides only anillustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitationswith regard to the environments in which different embodiments may beimplemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as recited by the claims. FIG. 1 includes network 102, server104, and one or more client computers, such as client computer 106 andclient computer 108, and database 110.

In one embodiment, network 102 is the Internet representing a worldwidecollection of networks and gateways that use TCP/IP protocols tocommunicate with one another. Network 102 may include wire cables,wireless communication links, fiber optic cables, routers, switches,and/or firewalls. Server 104, client computer 106, client computer 108,and database 110 are interconnected by network 102. Network 102 can beany combination of connections and protocols capable of supportingcommunications between server 104, client computer 106, client computer108, database 110 and layout transformation engine 112. Network 102 mayalso be implemented as a number of different types of networks, such asan intranet, a local area network (LAN), a virtual local area network(VLAN), or a wide area network (WAN). FIG. 1 is intended as an exampleand not as an architectural limitation for the different embodiments.

In one embodiment, server 104 may be, for example, a server computersystem, such as a database server, a management server, a web server, orany other electronic device or computing system capable of sending andreceiving data. In another embodiment, server 104 may be a data centerconsisting of a collection of networks and servers providing an ITservice, such as virtual servers and applications deployed on virtualservers, to an external party. In one embodiment, server 104 may be adatabase server operating on a legacy system, such as a mainframesystem. In another embodiment, server 104 represents a “cloud” ofcomputers interconnected by one or more networks, where server 104 is acomputing system utilizing clustered computers and components to act asa single pool of seamless resources when accessed through network 102.This is a common implementation for data centers in addition to cloudcomputing applications. In the exemplary embodiment, server 104 includeslayout transformation engine 112 for performing standardized layouttransformations of BIDI data exchanged between legacy and modernsystems.

In one embodiment, layout transformation engine 112 operates on acentral server, such as server 104, and can be utilized by one or moreclient computers, such as client computer 106 and client computer 108,via network 102. In another embodiment, layout transformation engine 112may be utilized as a software service provided by a third-party cloudservice provider (not shown). In yet another embodiment, layouttransformation engine 112 may include one or more software-basedcomponents, such as add-ons, plug-ins, and agent programs, etc.,installed on one or more client devices, such as client computer 106 andclient computer 108, to standardize layout transformations of BIDI dataexchanged between legacy and modern systems.

In one embodiment, layout transformation engine 112 is a software-basedprogram for performing automatic standardized layout transformations ofBIDI data exchanged between legacy and modern systems. In oneembodiment, layout transformation engine 112 provides a mechanism forperforming automatic standardized layout transformations of BIDI data ina database server, such as server 104, operating on a legacy system(e.g., mainframes). In one embodiment, layout transformation engine 112identifies a client application's operating system (e.g., modernoperating system) from information retrieved from a client application'sconnection request information.

In one embodiment, client computer 106 and client computer 108 areclients to server 104 and may be, for example, a server, a desktopcomputer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a smart phone, a thin client, or any other electronicdevice or computing system capable of communicating with server 104through network 102. For example, client computer 106 and clientcomputer 108 may be a laptop computer capable of connecting to anetwork, such as network 102, to host or participate in a collaborativeweb meeting and communicate with a central server to utilize asoftware-based program, such as layout transformation engine 112 ofserver 104. In one embodiment, client computer 106 and client computer108 may be any suitable type of client device capable of sending clientapplication connection requests to a database server in a legacy system,and exchanging BIDI data from a modern operating system to a legacysystem in a heterogeneous environment. In one embodiment, clientcomputer 106 and client computer 108 include a user interface (notshown) for sending client application connection requests to a databaseserver in a legacy system. There are many types of user interfaces. Inone embodiment, the user interface may be a graphical user interface(GUI). A GUI is a type of user interface that allows users to interactwith electronic devices, such as a keyboard and mouse, through graphicalicons and visual indicators, such as secondary notations, as opposed totext-based interfaces, typed command labels, or text navigation. Incomputers, GUIs were introduced in reaction to the perceived steeplearning curves of command-line interfaces, which required commands tobe typed on the keyboard. The actions in GUIs are often performedthrough direct manipulation of the graphics elements.

In one embodiment, database 110 is a storage device (e.g., storagerepository, database, etc.) interconnected (i.e., ported) on a legacysystem platform, such as a mainframe. In one embodiment, database 110provides the capability to store visual BIDI data.

FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of operational steps of a layouttransformation engine, such as layout transformation engine 112 of FIG.1, generally designated 200, for automatic standardized layouttransformations of BIDI data exchanged between modern and legacysystems, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Layout transformation engine 112 retrieves client connection requestinformation (202). In one embodiment, layout transformation engine 112retrieves client connection request information from a client requestfor data submitted to a database server, such as server 104, by anapplication or tool on a client device, such as client computer 106 andclient computer 108.

Layout transformation engine 112 determines an application's operatingsystem from the client connection request information (204). In oneembodiment, layout transformation engine 112 determines, based, at leastin part, on the client connection request information, an operatingsystem that the application is operating on. In one embodiment, layouttransformation engine 112 may determine the application's operatingsystem through code pages utilized by the client application, where thecode pages indicate which modern operating system the applicationleverages.

Layout transformation engine 112 determines whether data requested inthe client connection request information is BIDI data (206). In oneembodiment, layout transformation engine 112 determines whether the datarequested is BIDI data by identifying the data requested, and furtherdetermining whether the data requested exhibits bi-directionalproperties, such as layout properties (RTL) known in the art, thatindicate BIDI data. Where the requested data exhibits layout propertiesindicative of BIDI data, layout transformation engine 112 determinesthat the data requested is BIDI data. Where the requested data does notexhibit layout properties indicative of BIDI data, layout transformationengine 112 determines that the data requested is not BIDI data.

Responsive to a determination that the requested data is not BIDI data(NO branch, 206), layout transformation engine 112 continues to retrieveincoming client connection request information (202).

Responsive to a determination that the requested data is BIDI data (YESbranch, 206), layout transformation engine 112 initiates a layouttransformation of the requested BIDI data (208). In one embodiment,layout transformation engine 112 initiates a layout transformation ofthe requested BIDI data at a single point within the database server,such as server 104, by determining a plurality of data from a connectionstring of the client request, where the plurality of data from theconnection string indicates a type of bi-directional data transformationto be completed by the database server, where the type of bi-directionaldata transformation may be a transformation of visual data to logicaldata, or a transformation of logical data to visual data. Responsive tothe plurality of data from the connection string indicating data beingreturned to the client application from a database, layouttransformation program 112 initiates a layout transformation for thedata, converting visual data to logical data within the database server.Responsive to the plurality of data from the connection stringindicating data being inserted into the database from the clientapplication, layout transformation program 112 initiates a layouttransformation for the data, converting logical data to visual datawithin the database server. In one embodiment, layout transformationincludes converting visual data to logical data within the databaseserver for BIDI data being returned to a client application from adatabase, such as database 110, and converting logical data to visualdata at a single point within the database server for BIDI data beinginserted or updated in the database by a client application utilizing amodern operating system.

Layout transformation engine 112 returns transformed BIDI data to theapplication (210). In one embodiment, layout transformation engine 112returns the transformed BIDI data to the client application, where thetransformed BIDI data may be requested BIDI data converted from a visualdata layout to a logical data layout. In another embodiment, layouttransformation engine 112 inserts or updates the transformed BIDI datain a database, such as database 110, where the transformed BIDI data maybe BIDI data converted from a logical data layout to a visual datalayout.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of components of data processing system,such as server 104 of FIG. 1, generally designated 300, in accordancewith an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It should beappreciated that FIG. 3 provides only an illustration of oneimplementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to theenvironments in that different embodiments may be implemented. Manymodifications to the depicted environment may be made.

In the illustrative embodiment, server 104 in data processingenvironment 100 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computingdevice, such as computer system 310. The components of computer system310 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors orprocessing unit(s) 314, memory 324, and bus 316 that couples varioussystem components including memory 324 to processing unit(s) 314.

Bus 316 represents one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

Computer system 310 typically includes a variety of computer systemreadable media. Such media may be any available media that is accessibleby computer system 310, and it includes both volatile and non-volatilemedia, removable and non-removable media.

Memory 324 can include computer system readable media in the form ofvolatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 326 and/or cachememory 328. Computer system 310 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 330 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk, such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 316 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 324 may include at least one computer program product having aset (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configured to carryout the functions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 332, having one or more sets of program modules 334, maybe stored in memory 324 by way of example, and not limitation, as wellas an operating system, one or more application programs, other programmodules, and program data. Each of the operating systems, one or moreapplication programs, other program modules, and program data, or somecombination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 334 generally carry out the functionsand/or methodologies of embodiments of the invention as describedherein. Computer system 310 may also communicate with one or moreexternal device(s) 312, such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display322, etc., or one or more devices that enable a user to interact withcomputer system 310 and any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.)that enable computer system 310 to communicate with one or more othercomputing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/Output (I/O)interface(s) 320. Still yet, computer system 310 can communicate withone or more networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a general widearea network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g., the Internet) vianetwork adapter 318. As depicted, network adapter 318 communicates withthe other components of computer system 310 via bus 316. It should beunderstood that although not shown, other hardware and softwarecomponents, such as microcode, device drivers, redundant processingunits, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and dataarchival storage systems may be used in conjunction with computer system310.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles ofthe embodiment, the practical application or technical improvement overtechnologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinaryskill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Itshould be appreciated that any particular nomenclature herein is usedmerely for convenience and thus, the invention should not be limited touse solely in any specific function identified and/or implied by suchnomenclature. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms of “a”,“an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unlessthe context clearly indicates otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer program product for improving databasemanagement utilizing standardized layout transformations ofbi-directional (BIDI) data exchanged between legacy and modern systems,the computer program product comprising: one or more computer readablestorage devices and program instructions stored on the one or morecomputer readable storage devices, the program instructions comprising:program instructions to retrieve client connection information from aclient request for data; program instructions to determine based, atleast in part, on the client connection information, an operating systemof a client application, wherein the determination indicates whether theoperating system is a modern operating system; program instructions todetermine whether the data requested in the client request is BIDI data,wherein determining includes identifying the data requested anddetermining whether the data requested exhibits one or morebi-directional properties that indicate BIDI data; program instructionsto determine the data requested is BIDI data where the data requestedexhibits layout properties indicative of BIDI data; responsive to adetermination that the data requested is BIDI data, program instructionsto initiate a layout transformation of the data requested at a singlepoint within a database server, wherein initiating includes determininga plurality of data from a connection string of the client request,where the plurality of data indicates a type of bi-directional datatransformation for converting the BIDI data into a layout compatiblewith the operating system of the client application, wherein the type ofbi-directional data transformation may be a transformation of visualdata to logical data and logical data to visual data; responsive to theplurality of data from the connection string indicating the BIDI data isbeing inserted into the database server from the client applicationutilizing the modern operating system, program instructions to convertvisual data to logical data at the single point within the databaseserver; and program instructions to return converted BIDI data to theclient application.